Zinc Deficiency

From: Wikipedia

Zinc deficiency is usually due to insufficient dietary intake, but can be associated with malabsorption, acrodermatitis enteropathica, chronic liver disease, chronic renal disease, sickle cell disease, diabetes, malignancy, and other chronic illnesses.[2]

Symptoms of mild zinc deficiency are diverse.[155] Clinical outcomes include depressed growth, diarrhea, impotence and delayed sexual maturation, alopecia, eye and skin lesions, impaired appetite, altered cognition, impaired host defense properties, defects in carbohydrate utilization, and reproductive teratogenesis.[150] Mild zinc deficiency depresses immunity,[162] although excessive zinc does also.[137] Animals with a diet deficient in zinc require twice as much food in order to attain the same weight gain as animals given sufficient zinc.[113]

Groups at risk for zinc deficiency include the elderly, vegetarians, and those with renal insufficiency. The zinc chelator phytate, found in seeds and cereal bran, can contribute to zinc malabsorption in those with heavily vegetarian diets.[2] There is a paucity of adequate zinc biomarkers, and the most widely used indicator, plasma zinc, has poor sensitivity and specificity.[163] Diagnosing zinc deficiency is a persistent challenge.[1]

Nearly two billion people in the developing world are deficient in zinc.[2] In children it causes an increase in infection and diarrhea, contributing to the death of about 800,000 children worldwide per year.[1] The World Health Organization advocates zinc supplementation for severe malnutrition and diarrhea.[164] Zinc supplements help prevent disease and reduce mortality, especially among children with low birth weight or stunted growth.[164] However, zinc supplements should not be administered alone, since many in the developing world have several deficiencies, and zinc interacts with other micronutrients.[165]

Blogger Comment:

Zinc is essential to the synthesis of DNA and RNA, of proteins, insulin and sperm.
Zinc is essential for Metablosim of carbohydrates, fat and proteins.
A lot of enzymes need zinc to work, thus zince is very important coenzyme in metabolic reactions.
Zinc boosts the immune system and makes wounds heal faster.
Zinc is important for growth and maintenance of body tissues.

Zinc Sulfate 220 mg po daily for few weeks for patients with wounds to help healing and people with chronic diarrhea and change taste of mouth (after rolling out other causes).